present invention relates to an electrical connector for use in electrically connecting connection objects such as a printed board, an IC card, and others.
For connecting an IC card to a printed board, use is made of an electrical connector which will be called a turn contact type. A conventional connector of the turn contact type comprises a contact having a terminal portion and a fitting portion which are integral with to each other. The terminal portion is connected to the printed board. The fitting portion is loosely inserted with the IC card. When operation force is applied to the IC card in a thickness direction thereof, the IC card turns to become in press contact with the fitting portion with an elastic deformation of the fitting portion. Therefore, the IC card is electrically connected to the printed board through the connector. Such a connector will often be called hereinafter a turn contact type connector.
As will later be described in conjunction with the drawing, the conventional connector has a problem in which the contact is complicated and difficult to reduce a thickness and a size thereof. This results in difficulty of manufacturing the contact. Specifically, for achieving a reliable contact, it is necessary to set contact forces of the contact relative to the IC card be great. In this case, however, the large moment is applied to the contact. Accordingly, the contact should have a strength large enough to bear such a large moment. Further, for ensuring the sufficient deformation capability, the fitting portion of the contact is required to be large in size and complicated in shape.